Mar. 28, 2014
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President Obama and Pope Francis / Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

President Obama said Friday that Pope Francis is a man of humility and simplicity who may be "a little bit uncomfortable with all the trappings" of the papacy.

"That's not his style," Obama said in an interview broadcast on CBS This Morning.

That's one of the reasons Pope Francis "has been so embraced" by the world, Obama said. "Because people get a sense that first and foremost he sees himself as a priest and as a disciple of Christ, and as somebody who is concerned with, you know, the least of these."

The president also lauded Francis for "his simplicity and his belief in the power of the spiritual over the material."

Obama spoke a day after meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, a day that featured ceremonial marches and colorful Swiss guards amid the classical paintings and ceiling murals. (At one point, Obama could be heard to say, "His Holiness is probably the only person in the world who has to put up with more protocol than me.")

In his CBS interview, Obama called Pope Francis "a wonderful man," based on their 45-minute conversation.

"I think he projects the kind of humility and kindness that is consistent with my understanding at least of Jesus' teachings," Obama said. "He seems to have a good sense of humor."

CBS This Morning broadcast excerpts from the Obama interview; more parts will be shown Friday on the CBS Evening News.

On Thursday, Obama told reporters that he and Francis discussed helping the poor, world peace, and addressing the gap between rich and poor.

The Vatican, which has expressed concerns over the Obama health care law that mandates contraception coverage, said in a statement that the discussion included "the exercise of the rights to religious freedom, life and conscientious objection."

Obama said discussion of "social schisms" took place not with Francis, but with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.